Month: September 2016

It’s a party in the Village! Tonight is our exciting Light Up The Night event at Black Creek Pioneer Village! Tonight, see the Village like never before as you explore the site after hours!

Whoo!

· Enjoy craft beer, artisanal whisky and local wine as you take in the sights and sounds
· Create your own gourmet treats at the Tostada, Crepe, and Mashed Potato Bars, made with local ingredients
· Unwind to local musical talent performed in intimate heritage settings
· Stop by “The Un-Bar” and sip 1800s virgin cocktails
· Try your hand at genuine 19th century trades, crafts, and games
· Laugh and learn with special performances from our History Actors
· Bid on unique and hand-crafted items and experiences at the Silent Auction
· Meet the Village’s newest residents – our heritage breed goats!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE:

The Devin Cuddy Band will take the stage in an intimate open-air performance, bringing their unique blend of New Orleans Blues and Country to Black Creek. If you’ve not heard the Devin Cuddy Band before, you’re in for a treat. Take a listen to them performing at the Dufferin County Museum and Archives last year!

The proceeds from Light up the Night go towards restoration of historic buildings at Black Creek Pioneer Village to provide cultural experiences for future generations. And it’s not too late to join the party! Tickets are $40/person and can be purchased here, or at the door. You do need to be 19+ though… craft beer/whisky/local wine, you see. 😉

Ah, the hop harvest: an unofficial sign that summer is ending. Here at the Black Creek Brewery, Ed’s Wet Hop Ale is a seasonal favourite. When brewing, brewers generally use dried hops (today, they’re often pelletized!). But once a year – when the hops are just ripe – you can use them directly off the vine. It’s only a few metres from our hop vines behind Laskay’s Emporium to Ed’s brew-kettle: it’s hard to get more local than that!

So, one beautiful late summer morning, Ed, fellow Beer Expert Milan, and I harvested our hops. Being much taller than I, Milan and Ed took the vines down from their trellises.

Then, whilst Ed attended to the mash, Milan and I stripped the hop flowers from the vines. The hops’ pollen (lupulin) is what gives beer that distinctive floral aroma. You can see it if you very gently peel the hops’ delicate layers apart. Fresh off the vine, the pollen is a wonderful bright yellow colour – and it smells pretty good, too!

(We did wash our hands thoroughly after, though. Hops are all well and good, but the aroma tends to linger.)

Coming in at 5% ABV, Ed’s Wet Hope Ale is a light amber. Brewing with wet hops is like cooking with fresh herbs rather than dried: the nose is quite delicate and floral. Naturally, this ale is hop-oriented, but they aren’t very aggressive. Floral and citrus notes come through to start, with a hint of underlying earthiness.

Since this brew requires hops that have just been harvested, we can only make the Wet Hop Ale once each year. Like much of life, it is far too fleeting – which makes us appreciate it all the more. Stop by and try some for yourself at our annual Pioneer Harvest Festival and Artisans’ Village – another seasonal favourite! From September 17th-18th, you can see exciting demonstrations and crafts, sample delicious food (I’m picking up sausage and cheese curds), and celebrate all things handmade!

The village gets more beautiful every season…

The Seven Crowns Society Ale is also available now! This is a luscious cherry porter, brewed with help from our very special apprentices! It’s a little lighter than our usual porter, with lots of rich chocolate and dark fruit aromas. On first tasting it, there’s a sweetness that’s almost reminiscent of our brown ale, but that quickly deepens to cherry, chocolate, and a rounded vanilla booziness.

Hard to believe it’s September, isn’t it? Here at the Black Creek Brewery, we’ve all been enjoying a summer of lighter, hop-oriented beers: from pales to bitters to IPAs. But as the seasons turn, so too does our fridge stock. September is a month for two specialty beers!

Cooler days are coming!

As you may remember from last year, one of the silent auction prizes in our Spirited Affair fundraiser was the chance to design and brew your own beer. This year, our lucky apprentices are the team at Seven Crowns Tattoo. Together with Ed, they’ve crafted the Seven Crowns Society Ale: a Cherry Porter. They explain, “We like dark beer and wanted to incorporate an in-season local ingredient. We enjoy cherries, and thought it would make a great beer.”

We agree! The combination of dark and sweet sounds perfect for the end of summer! The Seven Crowns Society Ale is fermenting at the moment, so it won’t be out until next weekend, but you can check back here for tasting notes as soon as it’s ready!

Also on our radar: the Wet Hopped Ale! As it’s September now, our hops are very nearly ripe. Ed’s keeping his eye on them, and once they’re ready, he’ll brew up this seasonal favourite.

In other news, have you heard about our new event? Light up the Night is a party in the village! On September 22nd, experience the village like never before! Spend a fall evening enjoying live music (including the Devin Cuddy Band!), performances, and activities. Sample from a variety of food stations – and put your two drink tickets to good use! More information here!